Why Did He Not Mention A Name? – Top FG Officials Reacts To Binance CEO’s Bribery Allegation

Top officials in the Federal Government have reacted to a bribery allegation made by Binance Chief Executive Officer, Richard Teng.

Naija News recalls that Teng, in a blog post published by the New York Times (NYT), claimed that some individuals demanded $150m bribe in cryptocurrency to settle the criminal charge against the firm.

The NYT reported that on a trip to Nigeria in January, Tigran Gambaryan, a compliance officer with the exchange, received an unsettling message that the company had 48 hours to make a payment of roughly $150m in crypto.

Gambaryan, a former United States law enforcement agent, understood the message as a request for a bribe from someone in the Nigerian government.

However, senior officials in the Federal Government, while speaking to Punch, dared the Binance boss to reveal the names of individuals who demanded the bribe.

A top official of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said, “Did he (Binance CEO) mention a name? Since he didn’t mention a name, why should anyone be worried? Why should anyone waste their time if somebody made an unfounded allegation but could not mention any name?”

A top Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chief, who is close to the trial, also said, “If someone would say something like this, he should have the capacity to mention the people. It’s not worth our time, anybody can say anything but as long as they can’t substantiate it, it’s a waste of time. He should mention names, if not, all that he’s saying is rubbish.”

Two top officials at the EFCC also accused the Binance CEO of blackmailing the Federal Government.

They noted that Teng’s claim was frivolous, describing his action as ‘’the modus operandi of foreign personalities and corporations facing legal charges in Nigeria and other African countries.’’

One of the sources noted, “It is not only the EFCC that is prosecuting or investigating Binance over its atrocities against Nigeria. There are allegations of money laundering, and tax evasion, amongst others, against the company, and several federal government agencies are probing the company’s activities in the country

“But the latest comment about alleged request for bribery by the Binance CEO is a blackmail against the Federal Government. That is the modus operandi of international corporations and individuals facing charges in Nigeria or anywhere else in Africa.”